


and in the chaos, we find peace

by fallingforboys



Series: and the blood of the past turns the white roses red [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, McCall Pack, Nightmares, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Puppy Pack (Teen Wolf), Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28626429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforboys/pseuds/fallingforboys
Summary: The day after Theo's prank, the pack sets off on their road trip.
Relationships: Alec/Lori Talbot, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Ethan/Jackson Whittemore, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Nolan/Brett Talbot, Scott McCall/Malia Tate
Series: and the blood of the past turns the white roses red [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097741
Comments: 24
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

Theo woke up to Liam’s hand making its way up his shirt. 

He jolted up, blinking quickly to try and shake off the sleep. When his head cleared, he realized that the entire pack was already awake, and was currently watching him with amused stares.

“What-” Theo cleared his throat, “What’s going on?”

Brett smirked, knowing _exactly_ what Theo was talking about but hey, embarrassing the other pack members was his like, civic duty. “We’re going on the pack road trip remember?” 

Theo _did_ remember, but Liam’s fingers brushing his abs and continuing their journey up to his chest made it _very_ hard to form words. “Uh, yeah, I remember,” Theo murmured, his breath hitching with Liam’s actions, “But, uh, what does that have to do with, um, with this?”

“You mean what does that have to do with your boyfriend feeling you up at seven in the morning?” Stiles snickered. Theo’s face grew red, and he knew that all the other supernaturals in the room could hear his heart almost beating out of his chest. 

Lydia seemed to take pity on the chimera, and smacked Stiles on the chest. “You wouldn’t wake up no matter what anyone did, so Brett suggested that Liam could try _this_ method because _apparently_ ,” she shifted her gaze to Nolan, “it’s foolproof.” 

Nolan blushed while the pack exploded into a mix of giggles and snickers.

Scott had a wide grin on his face, but he was also adamant on getting on the road, so he raised his voice over the laughter. “ _Okay_. Get up guys, we’re already five minutes behind schedule, and if we don’t start in the next thirty, I’m forcing everyone to watch Theo and Liam make out.”

_That_ seemed to get everyone’s attention, and twenty seconds later, the whole pack besides Liam and Theo were standing up. 

Liam finally pulled his hand from under Theo’s shirt and grinned up at him. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.”

Theo smirked and opened his mouth to respond, but Malia cut him off. “ _No_ , absolutely _not_. Get up, you horny freaks.” She grabbed Liam’s hand and yanked him off of the older boy, causing the werewolf to flail around at the unexpected movement. 

Unfortunately for Theo, his flailing hand managed to hit Theo. In the balls.

Theo groaned loudly, curling up in pain. “I think I liked it better when your hand was under my shirt.” 

***

Liam was upset. 

He hid it well since the pack was around, but Theo’s prank _infuriated_ him. He had truly believed that Theo was captured, tortured, and dead, and the mental whiplash he got from when Theo started laughing _hurt_. 

The werewolf just wanted to talk to his boyfriend (if one good thing came from the prank, it was that) about it, but it was practically impossible with the rest of the pack constantly hovering. Finally, the rest of the pack got busy getting ready and packing for the road trip (Liam was absolutely certain that they would end up forgetting something and would have to turn back), leaving Theo and him alone in the living room.

Liam grabbed the chimera’s hand, and pulled him out of the house and out of earshot of the others (supernatural and human). 

“Liam,” the older boy squawked as the werewolf dragged him, “what are you doing?”

The younger boy suddenly stopped and turned around, putting him face to face with the chimera. Theo’s heart sank when he saw Liam’s serious expression.

“I’m absolute _shit_ at controlling my emotions,” Liam started, his voice trembling with rage, “and I tried to get over it but I _can’t_. That was not just a _harmless_ prank, Theo.”

“Liam, I-”

“ _No_. Let me talk,” the werewolf interrupted. “Before we go on this trip, I need to make sure we’re on the same page. Watching you get hurt in that video _killed_ me, and it was on your _heart_. You don’t talk about it, but I hear you at night, okay? And all of it-” Liam threw his arms up in exasperation, “it was all just an elaborate plan to _prank_ me. But it didn’t feel like a prank, it felt _real_.”

“I- I didn’t think about how it might’ve looked from your perspective,” Theo said slowly, carefully trying to find the right words because he _couldn’t_ mess this up. “But everything I said at the warehouse was true. I wasn’t making shit up, cause the best lies are fixed in truth right? I-”

Theo suddenly broke off, looking down at his feet, his voice suddenly void of emotion. “I’ve had nightmares where I was tied up to a fence, and there was a person placing a weapon right over my heart, and telling me I _deserve_ it. That I deserve to be in hell, because I took away innocent lives. And sometimes, the person would take the mask off, and it would be Scott, because how could the person I killed _ever_ forgive me? And sometimes it-” the chimera looked into Liam’s eyes, “ _sometimes it would be you_.”

“Theo, you know that I would never-”

“Wait, let me finish, it’s my turn,” the older boy cut in. “No one would come save me, because _who was left_? And in some fucked way, I thought that if I recreated that in the prank, having you come save me would, I don’t know, replace that memory? And I know it’s fucked up, but _I’m_ fucked up, and I’m-” Theo choked, “Liam, _I’m sorry_.”

Liam’s anger had dissipated during Theo’s explanation, and all that was left was an ache in his heart for the chimera. “It is fucked up,” Liam reached for the other boy’s hand when he heard his breath hitch, “ _but_ I get it.”

And he _does_. Because Theo never had anyone to comfort him on those nights when we would wake up struggling to breathe. He never had anyone tell him that he was _okay_ , that he wasn’t back in hell. No, he would wake up from the _no, no, Tara, no_ and the _Tara, please_ and the _it’s okay Tara, you don’t have to stop_ and be completely _alone_. And waking up from that with no one to anchor you back to reality fucks you up, and Liam _gets_ that. 

And so Liam reached up, cradled Theo’s face, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. It’s not desperate like their first kiss the day before, and not as dirty as their second. It’s chaste and simple, because Liam needed Theo to understand that _he gets it_. The tension in the older boy’s shoulders dropped, and he slowly relaxed into the kiss. 

Liam’s heart fluttered. He had a feeling things were finally looking up.


	2. Chapter 2

Theo and Liam’s conversation was private.

Scott knew that. 

But he’s been around Stiles for too long, and when he saw Liam hauling Theo outside, his curiosity peaked. 

So he went out the back door and stood in a place just close enough that he could pick up their words. 

“It was all just an elaborate plan to _prank_ me. But it didn’t feel like a prank, it felt _real_.” Liam’s voice pierced the morning silence, and Scott could _feel_ his pain. 

“Scott, are you out here? Stiles can’t fin-” Derek poked his head out of the door, but immediately stopped when he saw Scott lift a finger up to his lips and tilt his head towards the two boys. He closed the door and stood next to the alpha, wondering what the two lovebirds were talking about. 

Theo’s head was tilted down, but his words were clear as they drifted in the air to the two werewolves. “And there was a person placing a weapon right over my heart, and telling me I _deserve_ it. That I deserve to be in hell, because I took away innocent lives. And sometimes, the person would take the mask off, and it would be Scott, because how could the person I killed _ever_ forgive me? And sometimes it-” the chimera looked up, " _sometimes it would be you_.”

Scott and Derek both sucked in a breath. They both knew Theo struggled with nightmares, they knew hell changed him, but it was _different_ hearing it directly from the chimera. And hearing that sometimes it was _Scott_ telling those things to Theo in his nightmares _devastated_ him. He couldn’t even imagine what Liam was feeling. 

“No one would come save me, because _who was left_? And in some fucked way, I thought that if I recreated that in the prank, having you come save me would, I don’t know, replace that memory? And I know it’s fucked up, but _I’m_ fucked up, and I’m-” Theo choked, “Liam, _I’m sorry_.”

Scott closed his eyes, his heart sinking as he heard Theo’s words. The pack had taken some time to adjust to Theo’s presence after the war with the hunters, because they couldn’t trust him as easily as they did before. But Theo had shown that he had changed, and they eventually forgave him. Because if they could forgive Peter, Deucalion, Ethan and Aiden, and even _Derek_ , how could they not forgive Theo? And Scott had thought that the chimera was fitting in well, he thought that he was finally _okay_. But Theo wasn’t like the rest of them. He was _trained_ to hide his feelings, trained to show no weakness, and could pretend that he was happy when he was _dying_ inside.

The older werewolf placed a hand on the alpha’s shoulder, drawing him out of his thoughts. “Scott, it’s not your fault. I know you take the blame for a lot of things, but this _isn’t_ your fault. I know how-” Derek looked to the side, his eyes glazing over, “I know where Theo is right now, that feeling where you think that you’re so fucked up, you don’t think _anything_ or _anyone_ can fix you.”

He looked back at Scott. “And you _can’t_. You can’t fix Theo, he has to do it _himself_. You can be there for him, Liam _will_ be there for him, but in the end, he has to fix himself.” 

“There has to be _something_ I can do. I can’t just sit here and do nothing when Theo’s going through _that_ every nigh-”

“Scott.” The alpha’s heartbeat was rising, and Derek needed to make sure he calmed down. “The best thing you can do for him is to make sure he knows that he’s part of the pack. That’s _it_. Include him in pack nights,” Derek raised his voice slightly when he saw the other werewolf open his mouth to interrupt, “I _know_ you invite him and that he shows up. But showing up and actually feeling like he’s pack are _not_ the same thing. The first thing you thought when Theo called you asking for help was that there was a supernatural disaster. It didn’t even _cross_ your mind that it could be something else, because right now, he’s still an outsider to the pack.”

“But he’s _not_. With the Puppy Pack he-”

“The Puppy Pack is _different_. Alec and Nolan only saw Theo after he came back from hell, they didn’t see the Theo from before. Brett and Lori were around before, but they only got close to the pack after the war with the hunters, so they only saw post-hell Theo too. Mason, Corey, and Liam are the only ones that were part of the pack before, but Theo’s _closer_ to them. Liam is obvious, but even Mason and Corey, they’re always around him, and they see the person he is _now_. But what Theo did affected _your_ pack. It affected you, Stiles, Lydia, and Malia. Theo can be as close as he wants with the Puppy Pack, but if he doesn’t feel like he’s part of _your_ pack, he can’t fix himself.”

“I-” Scott’s brow furrowed as he spoke slowly. “I didn’t think about it like that. I thought that being part of the Puppy Pack would make him feel like he’s pack, because _he is_. Even Stiles thinks of him as pack, and he took the longest time getting over what Theo did. I think,” a determined look settled on the alpha’s face, “I think this road trip will be good for him. We haven’t spent a lot of time with _all_ of us together, and I’m gonna make sure by the end of it, he knows that he’s pack.”

The older werewolf clapped Scott on the shoulder. “It’ll take time, but he’ll get there eventually. I did, didn’t I?” Derek’s eyes glinted with mischief. “But right now, you should probably get back inside. Stiles is going through every one of your drawers looking for his lucky _pencil_. I don’t know why he needs a pencil for a road trip, but for some reason, he thinks that _you_ have it.”

Scott groaned. Stiles would never change.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a little different from the ones before- it shows multiple perspectives so you can see different people's perspectives on Theo's situation.
> 
> Hope you like it!

Liam was right. The pack had all crammed in the RV that Scott had rented and started only to turn around ten minutes later because Alec had forgotten his suitcase (how he forgot his suitcase when they’re going on a _road trip_ , Liam doesn’t know). 

And so they hit the road again, only to turn around again. Because god forbid Stiles leaves without his lucky pencil, which was completely unnecessary but trying to convince Stiles of that fact was a losing game that no one wanted to play. 

They had been driving for _thirty_ minutes when Brett yelped and said they had to turn around immediately because he forgot his _body spray_ (Liam was not sure that constituted an emergency, but he’s known Brett long enough to not argue).

Scott was visibly pissed as they reached his house for the third time. “If _anyone_ else has anything they forgot, _get it now_ , because I’m not turning around anymore.”

And so, an hour and a half after they originally left, the pack _finally_ set off on their trip. 

__________________________________

They’d been on the road for almost six hours by now, and Theo was antsy. He’d never been around the pack this long, and although no one had said anything yet, he was anxiously waiting for _something_ to happen. 

“Theo.” His head snapped up to the alpha, who was looking at him with concern evident on his face. “Are you okay?”

Oh, right, they were _supernatural_. They could smell his anxiety. Theo’s eyes flickered around the RV to see the rest of the pack (at least the ones awake, Stiles was currently snoring obnoxiously) looking at him. His heartbeat began to pick up, until he felt a weight on his arm.

Theo looked down to see Corey’s hand resting on this arm. “Yeah,” he croaked out, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The others seemed to be satisfied with his answer, and went back to what they were doing. Theo was still looking at Corey’s hand. The other chimera had forgiven him for what he did after he apologized, he _knew_ that. But forgiving him and comforting him were two different things, and he had never expected the latter from _anyone_ in the pack. 

The chimera closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push down the emotions that were rapidly rising in his chest. Blinking open, he caught Scott’s eye. The alpha was staring at him with an expression Theo couldn’t read, but he suddenly felt as if Scott could read his mind. 

Theo looked away, focusing instead on Liam next to him, who was battling Mason in a game on his phone. Theo let the werewolf’s annoyed cries and the sounds of the fight on the screen lull him into sleep. 

__________________________________

Scott knew that Theo was not _fine_. For once, the chimera hadn’t managed to keep his emotions hidden, and his apprehension from being around the pack and surprise at Corey’s comfort were clear on his face. 

As Theo slowly drifted into sleep, the alpha’s mind began to race. Theo was pack- Scott knew that, Liam knew that, Corey knew that, even _Stiles_ and _Malia_ knew that. The only one who didn’t seem to know was the chimera himself. And Scott understood why, thanks to his conversation with Derek this morning, but it didn’t make him feel any better. The former villain had shown that he had changed- he wasn’t the cold-blooded murderer from over a year ago. But deep down, Scott somehow knew that Theo didn’t feel the same; he still felt that he didn’t deserve the pack and Liam. 

Derek was right. When Theo had called him asking for help, he didn’t think it could be anything but something related to the supernatural. Theo used to be their _friend_ , why didn’t it cross his mind that he just wanted a friend to help him with a prank? And Scott _knew_ that everything Theo had said during the prank after Liam found him wasn’t made up. The chimera still held onto his guilt and regret- even after the pack had forgiven him, because he couldn’t forgive _himself_. 

And Scott felt stuck. Because for once in his life since he became a werewolf, he couldn’t take away the pain from someone in his pack that was hurting. 

He just had to sit there and watch. 

__________________________________

Theo had fallen asleep on Liam, his head gently resting on the werewolf’s shoulder. And for a second, Liam’s heart swelled, because Theo looked so _young_. The ever present smirk on his face was gone, leaving behind a subtle, barely-there smile. The tension between his eyebrows had smoothed out, and it made him look peaceful. 

Liam was so caught up in Theo, that he hadn’t noticed the phone until he heard the sound of the camera. His eyes snapped up to see Lydia with her phone pointed at the two boys with a slight smile on her face. 

“This one’s definitely going on the road trip album,” she commented. Stiles (who had finally woken up to the relief of the entire pack, who couldn’t stand his snoring anymore) leaned over, looked at the picture on the banshee’s phone, and snorted.

“If we ever need proof that Liam’s in love with Theo, we have it. I don’t think anyone could mistake those heart eyes.” The werewolf blushed and shifted uneasily, accidentally dislodging the chimera’s head on his shoulder. 

Theo, who Liam was slowly realizing was a _very_ heavy sleeper, fell sideways, and his head landed in Liam’s lap. The younger boy froze for a second, before gradually bringing his hand up to the chimera’s head and carding it through his hair. 

Looking down at the chimera who was relaxing even further into his touch, Liam was hit with a pang of sadness. Theo had been through _so much_ , and there were still days when he couldn’t even get the comfort of a peaceful, full night sleep. Liam didn’t know what he could do to make it better. 

And Liam felt stuck. Because he couldn’t take away the pain from the person he was growing to love the most. 

All he could do was sit there and watch.


	4. Chapter 4

Three hours later, they finally made it to their destination: Disneyland. 

Most of the pack had never been, and Scott decided that everyone could use a little vacation in a place that he loved as a kid. 

The sun had already set a couple of hours ago, so the pack went straight to the hotel. Unfortunately, Disneyland was not an empty place, especially during spring break, and the alpha could only book two rooms. For 13 people. 

Fun.

Everyone began unloading their things from the RV, and made their way into the lobby, unconsciously waiting for directions from their alpha. 

“Okay, everyone listen up,” Scott called out, looking at his disgruntled pack, “We only have two rooms so-”

“We have _two_ rooms for _thirteen_ people?” Nolan asked in disbelief. 

“We’re at Disney over spring break, there’s limited space buddy,” Stiles indicated dryly. “Be glad that we at least have two. Imagine stuffing all of us into _one_ room.”

“ _Guys_ ,” the alpha said, annoyance coloring his tone, “We have to figure out how we’re gonna split unless you want to spend the whole night in the lobby.”

“We can just split into the Puppy Pack and then the older pack,” Mason advised, “It’s the obvious choice.”

Most of the pack was nodding their heads, because it _was_ the obvious choice. Whenever the whole pack did anything, there seemed to be a clear division between the younger and older members. But Scott thought back to Derek’s words, and exchanged a glance with the older werewolf, who raised an eyebrow.

“No.” Scott could feel questioning eyes on him, but he continued, “That’s a 8-5 split, we’re not doing that.”

“Well what’s your suggestion then, oh great and wise alpha?” Brett asked sarcastically. Scott rolled his eyes.

“The whole point of this trip is to bond as a _pack_ , not as two different packs. So, we’re mixing it up,” Scott looked around, “So everyone pick _one_ person to stay with. I won’t split you up from that person.”

Everyone stared blankly at their alpha, no one even moving a muscle. Not counting Lydia, everyone was dating someone in the pack and would clearly choose them to stay with. 

Scott colored in embarrassment. “Um, well, okay now that we’ve figured that ou-”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Scott.” Lydia cut in with her no-nonsense voice. “Scott and Malia, you guys go with Stiles and Derek and,” the banshee narrowed her eyes as she glanced around, her gaze landing on Theo, “Theo and Liam. Everyone else, you’re with me in the other room.”

She grabbed one of the room keys from Scott and headed in the direction of the elevators. Her tone left no room for argument and not even Stiles (who _always_ complained) said anything, and everyone picked up their things and followed Lydia. 

__________________________________

Theo was anxious. And confused. 

He was certain that the pack would divide like it usually did, and he would be with the people that he had gotten used to. But now he was stuck with _four_ of the older pack members (well not really older cause besides Derek, they were the same age as him, but still). At least he had Liam.

Liam seemed to pick up on the chimera’s tension as they made their way to the room, and reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. “It’ll be okay. I’ll be there the whole time,” he whispered, though it was pretty useless against supernatural hearing. 

Theo thought he saw Scott tense, but it passed so quickly, it could’ve just been him seeing things.

And the chimera was grateful for Liam’s words, he really was, but it didn’t help him calm down. His nightmares were a constant in his life, and although being next to Liam helped a little, he was still scared of sleeping next to the older pack. He was afraid that he’d wake up vulnerable, and Theo _hated_ being vulnerable. The Dread Doctors had taught him to hide all emotion, because emotion was _weakness_ , and weakness got you killed. 

Theo was pulled out of his thoughts when they finally reached their room and watched Scott slide the key card. They were all tired, and just wanted to sleep so they’d have energy tomorrow, so Theo was sure that everyone would drop as soon as they got inside. 

True to his guess, Theo had barely made it inside when Stiles yawned, grabbed Derek’s arm, and pulled him onto one of the beds. There were only two, but they had a pullout couch (and Theo was atheist, but he sent a quick thank you upwards for the mercy of not having to sleep _next_ to the older members). 

Liam and Theo quickly set up the pullout bed, and Liam collapsed on it. He reached for the chimera’s hand and yanked, and Theo collided with the werewolf with an _oof_. The younger boy’s arms quickly went around him, holding him in place. 

“Liam, as much as I’m enjoying this, can I at least take my jeans off before we sleep?”

“No, shut up and sleep,” the werewolf grumbled, shoving his face into the chimera’s neck. Theo sighed and gave up trying to get up. Liam was the most stubborn person he’d ever met, and he was too tired to argue.

__________________________________

Scott woke up to a whimper and a racing heart. 

“Tara, no, _please_.” The voice was desperate.

Scott’s eyes flew open. He sat up quickly and saw Theo trembling in Liam’s arms on the pullout bed. The beta seemed to have woken up too, and he could hear him quietly murmuring to the chimera, trying to wake him. 

What Theo said next hit the alpha right in the heart. “Not Liam, _no_ , not him, please, Tara _take me instead_.” 

Scott exhaled sharply. Theo’s nightmares had evidently shifted from getting his own heart ripped out to watching his sister hurt _Liam_ instead. A similar noise from the other bed caught his attention, and he glanced over to see that Derek had heard Theo and had a sympathetic yet understanding expression on his face as he looked at the chimera. 

Liam, too caught up in what Theo had said, hadn’t noticed that the two werewolves were awake. He grabbed the older boy’s shoulders and gently shook him. “Theo, wake up,” his voice pleading, “I’m _here_ , wake up, _Theo_.”

The chimera’s eyes stayed closed. Scott slowly made his way to Theo and knelt next to him. “ _Theo_ , you’re safe. Liam’s safe. You’re not in hell anymore.”

The chimera froze. Scott hurriedly continued.

“Wake up Theo, c’mon open your eyes. Liam’s right next to you, he’s _okay_.” Theo’s eyes slowly opened and Scott let a gentle smile take over his face. He knew that pack members found comfort in their alpha- it was just the way packs worked. And even though the chimera didn’t believe he was part of it yet, Scott could see him visibly relaxing as he picked up on the alpha’s scent and steady heartbeat. 

Liam quickly started talking to Theo, quiet words that Scott knew Theo needed to hear, but the alpha had stopped listening and his smile grew wider.

Because that was the first time Theo had, although unconsciously, acknowledged Scott as his alpha.

And that meant Scott was one step closer to his goal.


	5. Chapter 5

Theo didn’t want to wake up. 

He could hear the five other people in the room shuffling around, getting ready for the day, but Theo stayed hidden under the covers. Because he couldn’t face Scott after last night.

Everything that the chimera was worried about came true. He woke up vulnerable, and Scott _saw_ him vulnerable. And that meant Scott knew his weakness. 

“Theo, get your ass out of bed before I pour water on you,” Stiles called out from the bathroom, his voice muffled. Theo ignored him. 

He felt Liam’s presence next to him, and poked his head out. The beta was watching him with a smile on his face. “You’re so adorable.”

“Shut up, I am _not_.” The younger boy laughed and grabbed Theo’s hand to pull him up. 

“Come on, you gotta get ready. We’re leaving in ten.” 

Stiles walked out of the bathroom with a cup of water. “Oh you’re up,” he said disappointedly, “Can I do it anyway?”

“Absolutely not, you fucker.”

Ten minutes later, the whole pack was climbing back into the RV to head to Disneyland. 

Fifteen minutes after that, they _finally_ reached the park, and Scott was going over the rules like he was a dad (he totally was, but no one was about to say that to his face) as they walked in. 

“Remember, stay with at least three other people at all times,” he announced, looking pointedly at Mason and Corey, who always ended up disappearing for, well, it’s pretty obvious for what. “And if you go on a ride, make sure you’re _in control_. We don’t need people screaming because they saw someone’s eyes flash gold on a rollercoaster. Got it?”

Theo snorted quietly. The “staying with three people” rule was pointless- as soon as they entered, everyone would split. But Scott seemed to have heard Theo’s disbelief and glared at the pack.

“I’m serious. Stay with three other people, or I’m gonna come and babysit you.”

Stiles snickered at his best friend’s words. “And you say you’re not a dad.”

The alpha shoved the human slightly, pushing him into Derek. Who immediately pushed Stiles away, causing him to bump into Brett. Who pushed him so quickly that Stiles tripped over his own feet and landed hard, sprawled across the pavement.

Laughter broke out among the pack at the surprisingly common sight. 

Well, at least Stiles would never change.

__________________________________

Despite Scott’s best efforts, the pack had once again split exactly the way it always did after they entered the park. He stood frowning as he watched Theo and Liam walk off with the rest of the Puppy Pack, Brett shoving Theo lightly after he made a joke about Nolan. 

“You can’t force him into this,” the alpha looked over to see Derek watching him, “He unconsciously acknowledged that you’re his alpha, but that doesn’t mean he _consciously_ does. He still doesn’t think he deserves it.”

Stiles looked between Scott and Derek. “What are you guys talking about? Is this about Theo?”

Scott suddenly realized that he never talked about his plan with the other three older members of the pack. “Uh, yeah it is,” he replied, moving his eyes back to Theo, “Did you guys ever notice that he’s like always on the side, like he doesn’t think he belongs?”

“Maybe he just doesn’t like attention?” Malia said bluntly, still not the biggest fan of the chimera, though she had gotten past her urge to kill him whenever he was in her sight.

“No, it’s more than that,” Lydia responded, her head tilted in thought, “He doesn’t want attention because he thinks that if we _do_ give him attention, it’s going to hurt him. He thinks that if he stays in the background, we won’t realize that he’s Theo, the “big bad chimera” that killed Scott.”

“But we forgave him for that, we _know_ that he chang-”

The banshee cut Stiles off. “I’m not saying that’s what we think. I’m saying that’s what _Theo_ thinks. Have any of you noticed that in pack meetings, if any of us walks past him, even for a second, he hides?”

The other four stared at her blankly. 

“God, you guys don’t pay attention to _anything_ ,” Lydia reprimanded. “It’s subtle, but he _does_. If _any_ of us come close to him, he retreats to someone from the Puppy Pack. Usually it’s Liam cause they’re always standing together, but not always. Sometimes it’s Brett, or Nolan, or even _Alec_ ,” she takes a breath, knowing her next words will hit the alpha hard, “Theo’s _afraid_ of us.”

Scott blanched but Malia snorted. “The “big, bad chimera” is afraid of _us_. Yeah, righ-”

“He is.” Derek’s grim voice interrupted the werecoyote and left no room for argument. “Just like _I_ was after Boyd was killed by my claws. Just like _you,_ ” he turned to Malia, “were after the pack found out about you killing your family. Just like Stiles was after the whole Nogitsune thing. We were afraid that one day, we’d wake up and the people we cared about would say that we’re _monsters_.”

The former alpha shifted his gaze to Scott. “In his eyes, he’s killed people- that’s all that matters. And because of the way he grew up, he sees things in black and white. He doesn’t see where the lines are blurred in between, because he _can’t_. To him, it’s-”

“Once a murderer, always a murderer,” Stiles murmured. Derek nodded. 

Scott looked confused. “But by that logic, that makes you three “murderers.” Like you pointed out, all of you have had a part in killing someone.”

“He doesn’t see it like that,” Lydia said, picking up the explanation from Derek, “Because he believes that you were all _forced_ into doing it. And he did it because he _wanted_ to. And he did, _but_ ,” Lydia glared at Scott, who had opened his mouth to interrupt, “he’s already been punished for it. And his nightmares keep punishing him for it. And until he believes that he’s made up for what he did, he’s _never_ going to stop being afraid of us.”

Scott sighed, overwhelmed with well, _everything_. “How do you make someone believe something that they think could never happen?”

It’s Lydia’s turn to sigh heavily. “I don’t know, Scott. I don’t know.”

__________________________________

Theo was having _fun_. 

He can’t remember a time that he’s felt this happy since back in elementary school, back when the Dread Doctors didn’t exist in his mind, back when Stiles and Scott were still his best friends, back when Tara was alive.

Liam had managed to drag him onto almost every single ride, but Theo wasn’t complaining. To his surprise, they had somehow _not_ lost the rest of the Puppy Pack, and all eight of them were currently in line for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. When Liam had found out that Theo never watched the Marvel movies, he forced him to watch _every single one_ in order. And Theo had genuinely enjoyed them (except for the day they were watching Avengers and paused the movie for an _hour_ to argue which Chris was better- Mason ended up settling their debate and Theo was pleased that the human had agreed that Hemsworth was superior; it was one of the reasons they ended up being closer actually- and Liam had sulked for the rest of the movie). 

After the ride, Nolan looked _very_ green, so Brett and Alec took him to the bathroom while the rest of them began to look for what to do next. 

“I want food, Theo come with me,” Lori suddenly blurted out, grabbing the chimera’s hand and pulling him. He squawked in surprise, managing to regain his footing right before he fell. He looked back at Liam, but the werewolf waved him off, too caught up in looking at the park map with Corey and Mason. 

The girl continued to walk and Theo obediently followed, if only for the reason that Brett would be pissed if he left his 15 year old sister alone. She finally stopped in front of a food cart, and Theo picked up the scent of pizza. 

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to be eating pizza before going on the rides?” 

“Shut up,” the younger werewolf retorted, “I’ll be fine.” 

So Theo asked for her order and went up to the cashier, leaving Lori standing to the side. 

A low growl cut through his senses, and Theo turned around to find Lori surrounded by a group of guys who all looked around her age. His eyes snapped to the girl, and it was obvious to him that she was having trouble with her shift- whatever the boys were saying was clearly messing with her self-control.

He told the cashier he would be right back, and quickly walked over to Lori. As he got closer, his werewolf hearing picked up on what the guys were saying. 

“C’mon, I just want your number, why are you making such a big deal out of this?”

Lori growled again. “I already told you, I have a _boyfriend_.” Theo did not need her shifting in the middle of a crowded park (can you _imagine_ Scott’s reaction?) so he pushed his way through the group and put a hand on Lori’s shoulder.

“What’s going on?” The boy pestering Lori (clearly the “leader” of the group) looked at Theo and snorted. 

“Is _this_ your boyfriend? He looks a little old for ya, don’t you think?”

And now Theo was getting pissed off. He’s had enough experience dealing with teenage boys (specifically Alec), but none of them had been _this_ bad. 

Before he could say anything though, Lori snapped at the boy. “He’s my _brother_ , and his self-control is a _little_ worse than mine. And by a little, I mean a lot, so _leave_.”

Theo’s heart had skipped when he heard _brother_ but he regained his senses enough to make a sudden movement forward towards the guys, as if he was going to attack them. They all squeaked and ran off, leaving Theo with Lori, who had a smirk on her face as she watched them move as fast as they could. 

“I’m not your brother.” Lori’s eyes snapped to his.

“Maybe not by blood.” And then she walked off. She just _walked_ away, like she hadn’t just shifted Theo’s world. He scrambled to follow her, almost tripping over his shoes in the process.

When they made it back to where the other guys were (Nolan looked a lot better, but Brett was still rubbing his back), Liam looked up. 

“What happened to the food?” 

Theo opened his mouth, racking his brain to figure out what to say, but Lori beat him to it. “Decided I wasn’t hungry anymore. I picked up a new brother though.”

Theo flushed as the other six made various confused noises. 

Lori (who apparently did _not_ care about personal space at _all_ ) looped her arm through his. 

“Brett, you’re officially replaced,” the girl informed the tall werewolf, “Theo’s a better brother than you are.”

Brett looked at his sister incredulously for a few seconds, then rolled his eyes. “Have fun with that, _brother_ ,” he said, clapping Theo’s shoulder, “She’s a _menace_.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out,” Theo muttered under his breath, but it wasn't quiet enough to prevent the supernaturals from hearing it, and soon he was surrounded with laughter. 

And Theo continued to roll his eyes and made sure a scowl was etched on his face, but deep down, he felt _something_ at Lori’s words. Like he was part of a _family_.

And Theo couldn’t remember the last time he had that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little longer than the ones before. Enjoy!

It was getting dark outside, so the pack voted to head out for dinner. The Puppy Pack was already at the entrance so the older pack decided to just meet them there, and the sight he saw was so surprising that Scott almost tripped as he and the others made their way to the younger group. 

The eight were standing in a sort of semi-circle, all talking and laughing with each other. But that wasn’t the surprising part. 

No, Lori had her arm through _Theo’s_ , and Theo _wasn’t_ pushing her off. The girl was half-leaning on the chimera, her head touching his arm, as she laughed at something Mason had said. 

And Theo had a _smile_ on his face. Not a smirk, a _smile_. 

Stiles seemed to have noticed the same as the alpha did and made a noise of disbelief. “Is Theo _smiling_? And how is Lori doing that? Why is Theo letting her? What the _hell_ happened today?”

They were still too far for any of the supernaturals in the other group to hear them, so none of them had noticed the older pack yet. Lori suddenly detached herself from Theo, only to immediately jump on his back and wrap her arms around his neck. The chimera, who was unprepared for the added weight, grunted in shock and quickly adjusted to prevent them both from hitting the ground. 

And Scott, who was fully prepared to see Theo drop the girl, was completely bewildered when the chimera instead tightened his grip to make sure she didn’t fall. Lori bent her head down, placing it on Theo’s shoulder, and closed her eyes.

They had finally come close enough to hear the conversation, and Brett’s voice drifted in the air towards them. “When she said that you’re her brother, I should’ve warned you,” he said laughing, “At least you didn’t fall- when she did it to me the first time, I think both of us ended up with a broken nose.”

“That was totally your fault,” Lori grumbled at her brother, her eyes still closed, “Theo’s clearly the better brother- he didn’t drop me.”

“You’re still sticking with that? I thought it was a joke,” Mason asked skeptically. 

“Obviously not. Plus, Theo makes a comfortable pillow, so wake me up when the rest of the pack gets here.” 

Theo turned his head slightly to look at Lori, who had relaxed further into his shoulder, with a hint of _something_ in his eyes that Scott couldn’t figure out. The group reached the Puppy Pack, and Liam looked up when he caught the alpha’s scent. 

“Oh, _finally_. We’re all starving, because _someone_ decided not to get us food.” His joking glare was pointed at Lori, who opened her eyes to glare back at the werewolf. 

“Yeah, well, I already told you the reason why I didn’t. So shut up and let me sleep.” 

Scott was still reeling from Lori saying that Theo was her _brother_ , and the rest of the older pack clearly was too, as none of them said anything, still trying to process what the hell was happening. 

“Uhh, are you guys just gonna stand there, or are we gonna leave?” Alec asked the older members, who were still frozen. 

Scott broke out of his thoughts and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go. McDonald’s or In-N-Out?”

That caught everyone’s attention, and the alpha took a mental tally of how many people voted for each one. “Okay, In-N-Out it is,” he said as they all began walking towards the parking lot. 

Theo was still carrying Lori, so when Liam ended up next to Scott as they walked, the alpha seized the opportunity to ask him what happened during the day. 

“Are you talking about Theo and Lori?” Liam clarified after Scott asked, and he nodded.

“Well, I wasn’t there, but they went to get food, and apparently there was this group of guys who kept harassing her,” Scott’s face tightened- Lori was the youngest of the pack and he hated that he wasn’t there to help her, “but Theo was there and they all ended up running away. I think Lori might've said something about Theo being her brother to them, but ever since then, he just seemed to be more comfortable around her. And more protective.”

“Uh, wow. I didn’t expect that,” Scott said, still taken aback at seeing Theo so _comfortable_ , “Is he like this with everyone in the Puppy Pack?”

Liam looked surprised at the question. “Umm kinda?” he responded, “He’s like that with me and Brett the most and now Lori. But he’s gotten more used to the others too. I think he sees Alec kind of like a little brother, and him and Mason are super into Marvel so they’re always talking about that. He’s pretty close with Nolan and Corey too.”

Scott angled his head to look at Theo again. He was casually walking with Lori on his back, talking with Mason and Corey- something Marvel-related Scott confirmed with his supernatural hearing. Suddenly, Stiles walked up to them and joined their conversation and Theo tensed. Lori seemed to have felt him do so, because she moved her hand from around his neck to his chest. Theo tensed even _more_ , and Scott realized that her hand was over his heart.

“S’okay. We’re all here, Theo,” she mumbled, and Scott had to strain his ears to hear her. The chimera slowly calmed down, and his heartbeat slowed bit by bit. Lori apparently wasn’t the only one who noticed because Corey and Mason had _both_ shifted a little closer to Theo, their arms brushing the chimera’s as they walked. Stiles, however, stayed oblivious, ranting about someone’s character arc being completely destroyed in the last movie to Mason. 

Lydia was right, they _really_ didn’t pay attention to anything. But even though he was no closer to moving forward with his plan for Theo, Scott felt hopeful. 

Because if today proved anything, it was that Theo _did_ feel like he belonged. Maybe it was only with the Puppy Pack right now, but Scott would do everything in his power to make sure he felt that way with the whole pack. 

And with that encouraging thought, Scott grinned and watched as the pack crammed back into the RV to make their way to In-N-Out.

__________________________________

Theo did research on the McCall pack before he came back to Beacon Hills- he _had_ to in order to manipulate them- so of course he knew who Jackson Whittemore and Ethan Steiner were. He, however, did _not_ expect to meet them on the road trip.

The day after Disney, Scott told the pack that they were meeting up with the two on their way back to Beacon Hills, as they were currently visiting from London. The older pack members were excited, but the younger ones less so- if only because they didn’t really know them. The ride back to Scott’s house consisted of the Puppy Pack talking within themselves while Jackson and Ethan joined the older group. 

Jackson, it turned out, was such a deadly combination of Stiles and Theo that the chimera wondered how the kanima even survived. But watching Ethan smack Jackson on the back of the head after he made a slightly insensitive comment about Alec cleared that up. _So Ethan’s the nice one_. 

Theo felt out of place, well, even more than he usually did. He stuck close to Liam and Brett, not letting either of them get too far away. But Jackson and Ethan seemed to have a different plan. 

After talking to the rest of the older pack, catching up on whatever it is the two got up to in London (Theo’s pretty sure he heard the kanima say that they celebrated their anniversary tied up for the _second_ year in a row, and didn’t really want to know whether he meant by hunters or by themselves), Jackson and Ethan made their way to the corner of the McCall living room where Theo was. 

“So you’re the one who almost managed to break apart the pack last year?” Jackson asked and Theo slightly winced at the brutal reminder. Ethan smacked Jackson again (which Theo figured was something he did often) and smiled at the chimera.

“Don’t worry, Jackson here tried it a few years ago too. And I used to be part of an Alpha pack that wanted to kill Scott. So you can join our little “former enemies of the pack” club,” the werewolf declared. “You’ll fit right in, and besides, I’m sure you’re at least better than Peter.”

“Uh, yeah, that sounds,” the chimera tried to find the right word but came up blank, “fun.”

“Stop harassing him, Jackson,” Lydia had walked over and was glaring at the kanima, who made an indignant noise. 

“I didn’t even say anything!”

“C’mon, Theo, you haven’t eaten anything yet,” the banshee grabbed his hand and started to drag him towards the kitchen. Theo, who had been waiting for the rest of the pack to _leave_ the kitchen before he entered, wasn't really given a choice in the matter and followed her.

Scott looked up at them as they entered the packed kitchen. “Hey, Theo,” the alpha greeted before shoving a plate into Theo’s chest. “My mom ordered enough food to last at least two days, even with the _entire_ pack eating, so grab whatever you want.”

The chimera shifted uncomfortably in the crowded room, and made his way to Nolan and Alec, who were currently competing on who could stuff the most marshmallows in their mouth (Where they got the marshmallows from, Theo didn’t know). 

Alec saw Theo and said something, but to the chimera, it just sounded like a bunch of weird noises.

“I hope you’re not assuming I understood what you just said, because I didn’t,” Theo commented dryly. Alec swallowed, and Theo grimaced at the marshmallows that flew out of Nolan’s mouth as he celebrated his win. 

“I _said_ , why aren’t you eating?” Theo looked around the kitchen, seeing Derek and Scott near the food. 

“I’ll eat lat-”

“Theo,” Scott called out, “Come get some food, you _gotta_ try this pasta.” The chimera glanced at Alec, hoping he’d say something so he could escape the alpha, but the young werewolf just pushed him, saying he needed to eat. 

“You good?” Scott asked as Theo hesitantly walked over to them. Seeing Theo nod, his face grew a little more serious and Theo began to panic. “I wanted to talk to you about something. Get some food first though.”

Theo took his time placing various things on his plate, hoping to avoid the confrontation for as long as he could. Alas, he couldn’t stall forever, and soon, he was making his way outside with Scott and Derek. They walked a little further than Theo had expected, so he assumed it was a conversation they didn’t want everyone else overhearing. _Well, at least he got to go to Disney before Scott kicked him out of the pack._

“That night at the hotel, when I woke you u-” Oh. _Oh_. This was about his nightmares.

“I’m fine,” Theo cut him off, not wanting to take part in this conversation. 

The two werewolves exchanged a glance. “No, you’re not,” Derek began gently, “And I know how that feels, Theo. I know how it feels to be afraid of the pac-”

“I don’t remember signing up for a therapy session,” the chimera said bluntly. Derek’s words hit too close to home, and Theo did _not_ want to hear it. 

Scott sighed, and Theo picked up on his annoyed scent. “Theo, this isn’t therapy. This is me making sure that you know that you don’t have to be afraid of us.” Guilt flashed across the alpha’s face. “You’re _pack_. You don’t have anything to be scared of, we’re not gonna wake up one day and say you’re a monster. We’re not monsters, we’re _supernatural_.”

And now Theo was _feeling_ things. Things that he was hoping to avoid by avoiding this conversation, but Liam clearly got his stubbornness from his alpha. 

“Look, I’m fine, okay? I’m not afraid of you.” Theo didn’t want to admit to himself that was a lie. But his heart seemed to have a mind of its own. 

“Your heart skipped a beat.” Scott was staring at Theo, his face twisted, and the chimera could smell the shame and sadness rolling off of the alpha in waves. 

“ _Okay,_ fine. Maybe I’m a little scared.” Theo didn’t want to give up any more that he had to. He wasn’t good at talking about his feelings, he was good at _hiding_ them. He hoped being as short as he could would irk the alpha enough to leave him alone.

“I was scared too,” Theo’s eyes snapped to the older werewolf. “You’ve done the research. You know that I killed one of my own betas.” 

Theo hadn’t expected this turn and widened his eyes in surprise. “Uh, yeah, Boyd, right?”

“Yeah, Boyd. I bit him when I was creating my own pack to rival Scott’s. And he was just a kid, but he _died_. From _my_ claws,” Derek had turned to look at something in the house, “And after that, I was so afraid of someone coming up to me and saying I don’t deserve it. Don’t deserve to live when I _killed_ someone.”

The chimera followed Derek’s gaze to see Stiles. 

The older werewolf shook his head, as if he was trying to get rid of his thoughts. “So I _get_ it, okay? I know how that feels like, and I _know_ why you’re afraid. But you don’t have to be.”

“You don’t have to be afraid of us.” Theo looked over to Scott, who had been watching him the whole time. “We’re not gonna kick you out, we’re not gonna send you to hell. We’re your _pack_ but we’re also your _friends_.”

Friends. Scott was saying the pack was his _friends._ Theo hadn’t had friends since Scott and Stiles back in fourth grade. And it felt _nice_. 

Theo sensed a presence at his back, and he felt arms around his waist. He looked down to see Liam poking his head from under Theo’s arms, and he leaned back into the werewolf’s comforting touch. “What’s going on? You good?”

The chimera drifted his eyes to the two werewolves in front of him, and smiled tentatively at Scott. “Yeah,” his voice grew a little more confident when Scott grinned back, “Yeah, everything’s good.”

__________________________________

_ and in the chaos, we find peace _

_ because in the violent, somber shadows of the past, we find the light that guides us home _


End file.
